Sewing machine



Sept i8 1923.

G. W. NELSON SEWING MACHINE z'sheets-shet 1 Filed June l5 1921 mgm l v w-.

Sept 18 13.923.

G. W. NELSON SEWING MACHINE Filed June l5, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H15 A ,TTOR/VEV Patented Sept. 18, 1923.

Niven s'rA'ras maar@ GEORGE W. NELSON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE STANDARD SEWING MACHINE COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

SEWING MACHINE.

Application filed June 15, 1921.

To aZZ whom t my con-cem:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. NELSON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga u and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing Machines, of which the following is a speciication.

My invention relates to improvements in lo sewing machines and more particularly in sewing machines of the rotary hook type in which the hook is carried by a short vertical shaft which is drivenA from a horizontal drive shaft through suitable bevel gearing.

As understood by those familiar with sewing machines, it becomes necessary at times to remove the hook from its normal position in the machine for adjusting, repairing and other purposes. In doing this the gears are frequently disconnected, in

which event considerable difficulty is experienced in reassembling the parts in their proper timed relation; in fact, the services of an expert adjuster usually being required to effect the same. Because of this, it has been the-principal object of my present invention to provide an improved supporting and driving means for the hook that will permit of the latter being readily removed from its normal operative position in the machine and returned thereto without liability of disturbing the timed relation of the parts. Such object, and others to be hereinafter referred to, are attained by the novel construction and combination of parts embodying my invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view of a sewing machine equipped with my invention;

Fig. 2, a section taken o`n the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and Y Fig. 3, an enlarged detail, partly in section, showing the hook and the parts associated therewith for disconnection from the machine.

As my invention relates only to the hook and associated parts located at the under side of the bed-plate of the machine, I have limited the illustration of the machine accordingly.

As-shown, 1 indicates the bed-plate, 2 the horizontal drive shaft at the under side of said bed-plate. 3 the hook, 4 a vertical shaft carrying said hook at its upper end and being operated from the drive shaft Serial No. 477,639.

bed-plate by suitable fastening means, suchV as the screws 10. Immediately below the plate 9 is a case 11 enclosing the gears 5-5 and adapted to contain grease or other suitable lubricant for the gears, as indicated at 12 in Fig. 3. This casefis provided with an opening 13 in its upper wall adapted to recelve the lower end of the hook-shaft bushing sleeve 8, to which latter the case is connected by a set-screw 14 in the case engaging said sleeve within a seat or depression 15 therein. In the rear wall of the case 11 1s a second opening 16 in which is seated a horizontally arranged bushing 17 providing a bearing for the front end of the drive shaft 2, said bushing being held in connection with the case 11 by a set-screw 18 in the case engaging the bushing within a seat or depression 19 therein. The drive shaft 2, adjacent the 'rear end of the bushing 19,

is transversely divided to permit of a free endwise separation of the front end of the shaft from the rear end thereof for a purpose to be presently described, the two shaft sections being operatively connected for rotation in unison by means of a short sleeve 20 attached to one section and having a projecting portion for receiving the end of the opposite section, which latter has a lateral in or screw 21 engaging the sleeve 20 within an open-ended slot 22 therein as shown.

With the described construction and combination of parts comprising the hook and its supporting and operating means. it will be understood that upon the removal of the fastening screws 10, the hook 3 and its operating gear-connected shafts, through their connection with the gear case 11, may be removed from the machine for purposes of adjustment or otherwise and subsequently replaced in position without in any way disturbing their assembled and properly timed relation. The advantages of this are obvious.

The bearing sleeve 25 for the rear end of the drive shaft 2 is here shown as being pivotally mounted between two cone bearings 26, 26, to permit of a lowering of the drive shaft at its front end, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, whereby to facilitate the connection and disconnection between the two sections of the drive shaft when the gear case 1-1 and associated arts are being removed from their operat1ve position in the machine or being replaced in such position. rlhe gear case llmay be formed in any suitable or desired way, the same as here shown being divided vertically into two parts which are secured together by fastening screws 27. Any suitable provision may also be made for introducing the lubricant into the case 11, the means here shown comprising two openings 28, one in a side wall and the other in the bottom wallfjand both closed by screws 30.

The front and rear sections of the drive shaft 2 are preferably connected by a balland-socket joint to provide a certain flexibility of the shaft that will permit of its l so' readily conforming to any slight adjustment or change in position-of the parts associated with its o posite ends. As here shown the joint is eliected by a ball or spherical surface at the end of the rear shaft section fitting within a socket in thesleeve 20 on the other shaft section, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. The flexibility of the shaft is further increased by reason of the pivotal support of its rear bearing sleeve 25 between the bearing screws 26-26, which permits of a rockin movement of said sleeve and supported sha in a vertical plane, as indicated by t dotted line position of the parts shown in Fig. 2.r

The bearing screws 26-26 are here shown as carried by -a yoke 32 having a stem 33 fitting in a socket 34 at the under side of the bedlate, the said stem being held in a vertically adjustable position in the socket 34 by means ofA a set-screw 36. This construction permits of any necessary vertical adjustment of the rear end of the shaft 2 independently' of' the front end thereof, and also permits of the sprocket wheel 7 on the end of said shaft being raised orv lowered tomaintain the driving belt 6 under proper tension.

What l claim is: l. In a sewing machine, the combination with the bed-plate, of a hook, a shaft carrying said hook, a drive shaft, gearing connecting said shafts, and a case enclosing -the said gearing and supporting the connected shafts in bearings therein, the said case with its supported parts being removably attached to the bed-plate.

2. In a sewing machine, the combination with the bed-plate, of a hook, a shaft carrying said hook, a drive shaft, gearing connecting said shafts, and ay lubricant-containing case enclosing the said gearing and supporting the connected shafts in bearings therein, the said case with its supported parts being removably attached to the bedplate.-

3. In a sewing machine, the combination with the bed-plate, of a hook, a vertical shaft carrying said hook, a horizontal drive shaft, bevel gearing connecting said shafts, and a case enclosing the said gearing and supporting the connected shafts in bearings therein, the said case with its supported parts being removably attached to the bedplate.

4. In a sewing machine, the combination with the bed-plate, of a hook, a vertical shaft carrying said hook, a horizontal drive shaft, gearing connecting said shafts, a case enclosing the said gearing and supporting the hook shaft and front end of the drive shaft in bearings therein, the said casel with its supported parts being removably attached to the bed-plate, and a pivotally mounted bearing supporting the rear end of the driving shaft to permit of the front end of. said shaft being lowered from the bedplate.

5. In a sewing machine, the combination with the bed-plate, of a hook, a vertical shaft carrying said hook, a horizontal drive shaft transversely divided between its ends and connected by a coupling permitting of the free endwise withdrawal of the front end from the rear end, bevel gearing connecting the front end of said drive shaft with the hook shaft, and a case enclosing the said gearing and supporting the front end of the drive shaft and the hook shaft in bearings therein, the said case with its supported parts being removably attached to the bed-plate. j Y i 6. In a sewing machine, the ycombination with the bed-plate, of a vertical shaft carrying a hook, a plate supporting said shaft and hook and being removably attached to the'bed-plate, a horlzontal drive shaft transversely divided between its ends and connected by a coupling permitting of the free end-Wisewithdrawal. of the front end from therear end, bevel gearing connecting the front end of said drive shaft with the hook shaft, and a lubricant-containing case enclosing the said gearing and supporting the front end of the drive shaft and the hook shaft in bearings therein and beiner connected with the said removable hoolr supporting plate for attachment to and detachment from the bed-plate therewith.

7. ln a sewing machine, the combination with the bed-plate, of a hook, a driveshaft operativelyconnected at its frontend with said hook, a support for the frontend of the shaft and associated hook removably attached to the bed-plate, and a rocking bearing for the rear end of said shaft to permit of the lowering of its front end and associated hook from the bed-plate.

. 8. In a sewing machine, the combination with the bed-plate, of a hook, a drive shaft operatively connected at its front end with said hook, a support for the front end of the shaft and associated hook removably attached to the bed-plate, and a rocking bear- 'ing for the rear end of said shaft to permit of the lowering of its front end and associated hook from the bed-plate, said shaft be'- ing 'ointed between said rocking bearing and 1ts front end.

9. In a sewing machine, the combination with the bed-plate, of 'a hook or loop-taker, a flexible drive shaft therefor provided with a sprocket wheel at one end, a drive belt engaging said sprocket, and an adjustable bearing for the sprocket-carrying end of the shaft.

10. In a sewing machine, the combination with the bed-plate, of a hook or loop-taker, a horizontally arranged drive shaft, means operatively connecting the front end of the drivel shaft with the hook or loop-taker for operating the latter, said drive shaft being formed in sections connected by a ball-andsocket joint, a drive belt engaging the rear end df the shaft, a pivotally supported bearing sleeve in which the rear end of the shaft is journaled, and means for adjusting said bearing sleeve and supported shaft in a vertical direction.

Signed at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, this 2nd day l of June, A. D. 1921.

GEORGE w. NELSON. 

